Fritz gatjger



(No Model) P GAUGBR, Jr DEVIGE FOR AFFIXING POSTAGE OR OTHER STAMPS.

Pafiented May 25,1897.

' v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRITZ GAUGER, JR, OF ZURICH, SWITZERLAND.

DEVICE FOR AFFlXlNG POSTAGE OR OTHER STAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 583,254, dated May 25,1897.

Application filed May 6,1896. Serial No. 590,505.

230,708, and in England October 22, 1895,1I0. 19,836.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRITZ GAUGER, J r., a citizen of the Republic ofSwitzerland, residing at Zurich, canton of Zurich, Republic ofSwitzerland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDevices for Affixing Postage or other Stamps, Labels, Tickets,

and the Like, of which the following is a specification, and for which Ihave received patents abroad as follows: in Switzerland January 7, 1895,No. 9,538; in Germany January 23, 1895, No. 84,048; in Austria March 31,1895, No. 230,708; in France January 17, 1895-, No. 244,405, and inEngland October 22, 1895, No. 19,836.

My invention relates especially to a hand device which will hold aquantityof stamps, tickets, or labels placed, one above the other in areceptacle provided at the lower end of the device to receive them, andprovided also with a piston which will press upon the stamps from abovewhen the device is used to affix the bottom stamp of the lot, and whichwill then be relieved of pressure to allow the bottom stamp to be drawnout of the device and placed upon the article to which it is to beaffixed upon lifting the stamp-holding device from the article.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectionalelevation of my improved device; Fig. 2, a side elevation thereof; Fig.3, a horizontal cross-section in line as a: of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, avertical central crosssection of the dampening-cup; Fig. 5, a plan ofthe dampening-cup with the dampeningpad removed.

According to my invention I provide a receptacle containing a number ofpostagestamps, labels, or tickets with a piston or follower to restthereon, a presser-tube to bear upon the follower, a spring-catch toengage the said tube and follower, a cover to the said receptacle, inwhich the presser-tube is guided, and means for disengaging thespring-catch of the follower from the pressertube to allow the latter torest with its Weight only upon the stamps within the receptacle andallow the bottom stamp to be freely withdrawn from the receptacle whenthe pressertube is not held down upon the stamps, and I also preferablyemploy an outer guide-tube, a follower guide-rod, a presser-tube handle,

(No model.) Patented in Switzerland January 7, 1895, No. 9,538; in

No. 84,048 5 in Austria March 81, 1895,1I0.

. and spiral springs contained within the outer guide-tube and thepresser-tube for raising or pressing upwardly upon the presser-tube andits handle and for pressing down upon the follower when the latter isdisengaged from the presser-tube, as will hereinafter appear in thefollowing detailed description of the construction and operation of thepreferred form of my device.

My invention also comprises a dampeningpad of novel construction whichis used in connection with my device.

The receptacle A is of exact size to freely contain a suitable number ofstamps, tickets, or labels (all hereinafter designated stamps) placedone upon the other, and one of the sides of said receptacle has alongitudinal opening a, (shown in Fig. 8,) which will allow thestamps tobe more easily placed therein or removed therefrom, and the saidreceptacle A is fitted within an outer case B, slotted at opposite sidesand at the lower ends thereof to receive and fit snugly around twooppositely-disposed plates a, bent outwardly at their upper ends toreceive a spring-catch plate 12, secured at its upper end to the outercase B and bent inwardly at their lower ends to project within the innercase a sufficient distance to hold the stamps Within the receptacle whennot otherwise acted upon, as will hereinafter appear.

The outer case B has a cap I), flanged to receive said case, and besecured thereto by screws b an upwardly-projecting cylinderhub b toreceive the outer guide-tube G, and a conical inwardly-projecting hub bbored centrally with the cap I) and outer hub b to receive and form aguide-bearing for a pressertube E, which latter is adapted to movelongitudinally therein. The lower end of the presser-tube E is providedwith a conical head eZwhich abuts against a follower C, fitted to movesnugly within the stamp-receptacle A, and which when so pressed upon issecured thereto by a spring-catch 0 secured to the follower and engagingwith the shoulder formed by the head 6 of the presser-tube. The jaw ofthe spring-catch c is wedge-shaped and is pressed against by the conicalinwardly-projecting hub 12 of the cap I), and the said catch 0 is thusreleased from the head 6 of the presser-tube when the latter is raisedto its full height within the stamp-receptacle. A knob handle H, havinga centrallybored downwardly-projecting body h, fitted with a tubularmetal shell h, is secured to the upper end of the presser-tube E, withthe shell 71. fitting snugly to slide upon and be guided by theguide-tube G, the said guide-tube G and shell It being of sulficientdiameter to receive a spiral spring 6, which fits within the shell andencircles the presser-tube E. The spiral spring e bears at its lower endupon the cap b of the outer casing and presses upwardly beneath a flangee projecting outwardly from the upper end of the pressertube E, and whennot otherwise acted upon lifts the said presser-tube and with it thefollower to the upper end of the stamp-receptacle. The follower O has aguide-rod e, secured thereto,which passes upwardly into the presser-tubeE, and has a head 0 at its upper end which when the follower is in thebottom of the stamp-receptacle rests upon a shoulder a, projectinginwardly from the presser-tube. A spiral spring I fits around theguide-rod c and within the presser-tube E and presses between the saidinner shoulder e and the top of the follower C to hold the latter downwith a properly-regulated pressure upon the top of the stamps within thestamp-receptacle when the spring-catch c has been released from the headof the presser-tube by contact with the inwardly-projecting conical hubof the cap upon the upper end of the outer casing.

The moistening-box K has a retaining-cap shell L fitted within the-upperend thereof and provided with an exterior headed guideflange Z, whichprojects inwardly to hold down a felt pad M, fitted within theupwardlyfianged top of a cover N, which latter fits within the cap-shellL. The cover N is perforated at n, and a sponge held within the box Kand below said cover is kept wet and serves to moisten the felt pad.

The operation of the device is as follows: The stamp-receptacle isfilled with stamps, which are gummed on the under side in the usual way,and the lower end of the said receptacle with the bottom stamp exposed,except at the small spaces covered by the stampretaining side plates ofthe receptacle, is pressed down first upon the dampening-pad to wet thebottom stamp and then removed and pressed with sufficient force upon thetop of the letter or other article to which the stamp is to be secured.The stamp will adhere to the surface against which it is pressed exceptat the small side spaces covered by the stamp retaining plates, and whenthe stamp is thus held the pressure upon the handle H is released, andthe spring, pressing between said handle, its presser-tube, and the capof the receptacle, will lift the presser-tube and follower securedthereto until the springcatoh connecting them is disengaged by theconical hub of the cap, and the follower is then returned with aproperly-regulated pressure to bear upon the stamps by means of thespiral spring arranged within the pressertube. It will be readily seenthat when the follower is first lifted from the stamps and before it isdisengaged from the presser-tube the stamps will be loosely held withinthe receptacle and the bottom stamp may easily be released by itsadhesion to the surface to .which it is secured and withdrawn from thewith sufficient force to hold them in place,but

not sufficiently to push the bottom stamp out to form contact with thesurface against which it is pressed. The separable connection of thefollower and presser-tube is essential to the successful operation ofthe device in the manner described.

The spring held between the guide-tube and presser-tube acts to quicklylift the follower when the pressure is released from the knob, and thespring and rod fitted within the presser-tube bear upon the followerafter the catch has released it and act in the above-described manner.

The several parts of the moistening device may be easily separated andkept clean and in proper working order.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. Adevice for holding and affixing stamps, comprising a stamp -receptaclehaving inwardlyprojecting plates at the open end thereof, a followerwithin said receptacle, a presser-tube separably connected with saidfollower, and a spring-catch connecting the said receptacle andpresser-tube to raise the latter with the follower therein,substantially as described.

2. A device for holding stamps, comprising a stamp-receptacle, apresser-tube adapted to reciprocate therein, a follower, a spring-catchto connect the said presser-tube and follower and a projection withinthe stamp-receptacle to disengage the follower and presser-tube bycontact with the spring-catch, substantially as described.

3. Adevice for holding and aifixing stamps, comprising astamp-receptacle, a follower, a presser-tube separably connectedtherewith, a guide tube secured to the receptacle, a spring held betweenthe guide tube, the presser-tube and the handle, and a spring and rodfitted within the presser-tuhe to bear upon the follower, substantiallyas described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRITZ GAUGER, JR.

\Vitnesses:

HERMANN KIROHHOFER, HERMANN HUBER.

IOC

